My Heart Will Go On
by Casta Gemou
Summary: Just updated with Chapter 5! A story about Tenel Ka trying to find Jacen after he dissapears. Tenel Ka believes he is alive, but is she fooling herself or is it really true?
1. Missing You

This is to be seen as a music video type thing, or a song in a movie. First read the part of the song in the *_______*'s, then read the stuff that happens after it without *'s. The two events are meant to be simultaneous. 

My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion (I KNOW you have it, listen to it after reading this once through.) Set in the time period of Dark Journey, when Tenel Ka is on Hapes.

*Intro music*

Tenel Ka lie in her bed, sleeping soundly. The room made her uncomfortable at first with all of its finery, but she realized that once she was Queen there was no escaping it. The walls were cream colored, with gold trim, and the bed sheets and cover blankets were a deep blood red. She was nestled in the covers, eyes darting back and forth behind their lids. A cool breeze gusted in from the river delta, and blew the shimmering curtains gently.

*Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you*

Her eyes fluttered open. It was that dream, again. She had felt Jacen die, and it ripped a hole in her heart, leaving his part of her soul empty, longing. Her dreams filled that hole with remembrances, thoughts of what could have been.  She was soon to be a powerful ruler, and couldn't let these thoughts bother her during the day, so she pushed them to the back her mind and delved into them at night. Someone had once said to her, "A dream is a wish your heart makes." _Well then_, she thought, _I wish he were here_.

*That is how I know you go on*

She got up from bed and walked to the window. She may have felt him die, and told others he was dead, but somehow she knew he was out there somewhere.

*Far across the distance, and spaces between us, you have come to show you go on*

She looked up into the black sky, dotted with glistening diamonds. She let her arms hang out the window, and felt the breeze bring tiny drops of water from the crashing waves below.

*Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that that heart does go on*

Zekk had told her that she had left Jacen. Perhaps he was right, she should have protected him. He relied on her through the entire mission, and she had failed him.  She pulled her arms from outside the window and lay her palms on the cool stone, letting the breeze playfully toss her loose hair. "No," She said aloud. She then used the Force to push guilty thoughts from her head. "Jacen would not want that," She thought.  

*Once, more, you opened the door, and you're here in my heart and my heart will go on and on.*

As long as she was alive and well, he was too.

**Instrumental section**

Something in the dream triggered her mind. It was a tree, alone in a field. She knew that tree, and something told her she needed to be there now.

*Music picks up pace*

She ran out of the palace and into the night. There lay the grassy fields of the palace grounds, acres and acres of open space on the East side. On the West side, there were gardens and fountains, but the side opposite that was a hilly area dotted with trees. She ran, and let the memories flow back. She didn't care who saw her in her nightclothes in the middle of the night, for there were surely guards awake.

*Love can touch us one time, and last for a lifetime*

The dewy grass tickled her bare feet, as she remembered swimming in the lake… running in the jungle...climbing the temple at the Academy...all with Jacen. Every memory she could summon was of him.

*And never let go till we're gone*

Even if he was gone, alive, but gone, he would live on forever in her heart.

*Love was when I loved you*

Another, more potent memory floated through the stars and came to her.  It was with Jacen, and of course Jaina, Lowie, and maybe Zekk as well. They had been talking on the river bank, and Jacen said, "Nothing could surprise me anymore. Nothing." And so, Tenel Ka surprised him, kissing him for the first time. 

She thought to herself, "Why? Why did I do that?" A voice replied in her head..."because... you love him."

*One true time, I hold you*

The river bank faded away in her memory, and in it's place there was only bluish clouds, going down, down, down as far as the eye could see. Cloud City. Jacen had fallen down there, and this was when she realized that she needed him to go on.  Not feeling his "death" through the Force that day had been a devastating blow. She thought they were deeply connected. When she realized he was alive, she wrapped her one arm around him and held him as tightly as she could. She thought perhaps she had whispered "I love you" in his ear that day, and no one else had heard. Maybe Jacen hadn't heard either.

*And my life will always, go on*

The memories jerked to a stop, and Tenel Ka was pulled back into the real world. She had reached the tree. The one she had seen in her dream. She touched the trunk and felt the life the tree emitted through the Force.

*Near, far, where ever you are*

She looked up at the oblivion of the sky, hoping...no...knowing Jacen could feel her reaching out to him, wherever he was.

*I beleive that the heart does go on*

Her hand reached up to the branch, and she began climbing the tree.

*Once, more, you opened the door*

Why she was climbing, she didn't know. A Force was pulling her up, up, up...

*and you're here in my heart and my heart will go on...*

Suddenly, she doubted herself, and lost her footing. She stared up into the branches of the tall tree as she fell, in slow motion, reached her hand up to the branches, calling for help before she crumpled into a heap at the base of the tree...

*..and on*

**Instrumental/Flute solo**

Far away, Jacen lay on a Yuuzhan Vong warship, eyes closed, dreaming of her. Suddenly, he felt her, calling for help. She was falling... NO! He sat up straight and looked at his hand carefully, then stood up. 

**

Tenel Ka felt a ray of hope lift her from the ground. She stood up, and got a foothold on the tree again, determined to climb it. She used the stump of her left arm to steady her, but instead of reaching her right hand to the branch she reached slightly above it. There, where she reached her hand, she could feel and almost see Jacen's hand, reaching to her...

**

Jacen reached his hand out, and closed his eyes...

*You're here, there's nothing I fear**

Their hands touched, and Jacen pulled Tenel Ka up to the next branch. 

*And I know that my heart does, go on*

As long and she had hope, he would be there to help her.

*We'll stay, forever this way*

She sat on a branch near the top of the tree, her hair and white nightgown fluttering in the wind.

*You are safe in my heart and my heart does go on, and on*

She placed her hand over her heart, and felt two heartbeats, Jacen's and her own. She would keep it safe for him, until his return.


	2. Family Tree

Author's Note: Thanks to all who reviewed. This was going to be a one-post, but thanks to suggestions, I'll probably continue it a few more chapters. Happy Reading and REVIEWING all!  
  
"Princess! Princess Tenel Ka! You must wake up!"  
  
Prince Isolder's voice rang above the others, "Tenel Ka! What are you doing up there?"  
  
She woke with a start, and abruptly toppled from the branch she had fallen asleep on. Yet somehow, she managed to land on her feet. Isolder authoritatively dismissed the guards that had alerted him to his daughter's strange behavior.  
  
Walking over to her father, Tenel Ka realized she was still wearing her long, white nightgown, but chose to ignore that fact.  
  
"Daughter...what has gotten into you?" Isolder spoke in Hapan to his daughter, and she responded in the same dialect.  
  
"Father, I apologize. I... could not sleep in my room."  
  
"Well, as that may be, your mother wishes to speak with you, so I suggest you get dressed at hurry to her rooms."  
  
"Thank you, I will." Tenel Ka started to walk away, but Isolder stopped her and looked at her for a moment. He pulled her into a bear hug, and though surprised, she hugged him back.  
  
"Oh, my daughter" Isolder sighed, with a touch of longing and remorse for not seeing his only child for more than perhaps twice a year. She had grown so much since their last meeting, and ever day she looked more like her mother. "I have missed you. Please, walk with me for a moment or two before going to your mother. We have not spoken in a very long time."  
  
Their identical grey eyes stared at each other, and Tenel Ka nodded. Isolder began to speak, "You saved my life the other day, and I never got to tell you how thankful I am. And how very proud I am of you. When the young Solo boy died, it made me realize how dangerous this war is."  
  
Tenel Ka felt the pain in her father's Forceless heart, and realized that upon her mother's impending death, she would be all that was left of Teneniel for him.  
  
So they sat on a garden bench and talked, father and daughter.  
  
"Mother?" Tenel Ka pushed the door of her mother's chambers open. The room was lighter than usual, as Teneniel had opened the drapes today, letting the sunshine pour in. The room had been dusted since Tenel Ka's last visit, and fresh flowers placed in vases around the room. The cheery appearance reflected her mother's change in disposition.  
  
"Tenel Ka! Come, sit down." Teneniel's once rusty brown hair was streaked with grey, though the glaze over her eyes that Tenel Ka had observed since she had begun visiting her mother was gone. She spoke to her daughter in the Dathomirian language, instead of Hapan, like her husband. Isolder had never fully learned his wife's language, so they conversed in Hapan or Basic. Tenel Ka, however, was trilingual, though her Basic had a strange mix of a Hapan/Dathomirian accent.  
  
"How are you feeling, Mother?" She sat down at her mother's table, where Teneniel was writing. She stuck the pen back in its inkwell and turned to face her daughter.  
  
"I am well, no, not well, but better." She paused, "but I want to talk about you."  
  
"Me?" Tenel Ka was puzzled.  
  
"Yes," Her mother nodded, looking concerned. She nodded to the two servants in her chambers, tidying. "You may go." They bowed to the Queen and exited the rooms. "My daughter, you are radiating in grief."  
  
"Many have been lost in this war. Many friends." Tenel Ka swallowed, as she knew her mother probably knew her daughter's mind better than Tenel Ka knew it herself.  
  
"But one friend, in particular, you grieve for." She grasped her daughter's one hand tightly. "I felt your frenzied storm of grief. Everyone did."  
  
"I apologize for causing you pain, Mother."  
  
"No, Tenel Ka, I am sorry you felt such pain. I thought the universe would be a better place after the Empire, and the Nightsisters. I was wrong." Teneniel shook her head sadly. She looked into Tenel Ka's grey eyes. "I know why you grieve him so."  
  
Tenel Ka looked away from her mother, and pulled her hand away. Her mother grabbed her hand back and squeezed it tightly. "You must not hide from this any more. You love him."  
  
Teneniel pulled Tenel Ka close to her, and whispered in her ear, "He is alive."  
  
"No, Mother, he is dead, I felt him die." Tenel Ka did not want to reveal her "silly" belief that Jacen was still alive. It was ridiculous, and she was certainly not known for ridiculous thinking."  
  
"No." She spoke with force, holding her twenty-one year old daughter by her shoulders at an arms length away, as if she was an adolescent being punished again. "He is alive. You must speak with Leia."  
  
"Leia is fooling herself. She cannot handle the death of both sons." Tenel Ka thought to herself, "You're fooling yourself, you cannot handle the death of the one you love..."  
  
"No! Tenel Ka, you must believe me. Mothers know these things. I know. I am sure you will know someday as well." Teneniel sighed, and smiled. "I remember when you were very small. Running around the palace, your hair flying behind you...  
  
"You know anger is of the dark side, I feel your grief, your anger. If you believe him dead, than there is nothing I can do to change your mind. You always were just as stubborn as your father."  
  
There was a momentary lapse in the conversation, then Tenel Ka said, "I see you are feeling better."  
  
"Yes, despite your grief your presence, both physical and in the Force, is comforting."  
  
"Yours is as well, Mother." 


	3. Dreams

A/N: I've recently edited this, as I forgot to add an authors note at the beginning and there were a few little things about this chapter that I didn't like. Hope it's better now! Thanks for reading. The next chapter is still stewing about in my head, but it will be out soon!

Also, the song Fallen Embers is composed and performed by Enya. It isn't mine, I just think it goes with my story well.

Tenel Ka sighed. She felt restless, but exhausted. The others had gone days ago, off to fight the Yuuzhan Vong. Teneniel Djo had asked her daughter to stay on Hapes, to aid her in her duties that she would one day inherit. Tenel Ka could have refused, of course, but something prompted her to stay on her home planet. It was not her own intuition, emotions, and certainly not logic that prompted her to stay.

The Force seemed to have a mind of it's own within Tenel Ka these days. She worried if she was letting it become wild, not controlling her feelings. To counter this, she had meditated for hours, yet the feeling only became stronger. She needed to stay on Hapes.

So only four nights after her arrival on Hapes and her night spent in the limbs of the tree, she sat awake again. She reclined on a couch in her room, staring out the window. The hectic day in the palace had left her spent, wishing for a run or lightsaber training to help calm her nerves. Unfortunately though, her run on the previous day had resulted in a painful twisted ankle, and though she was not one to milk an injury, Tenel Ka though it best to rest her ankle so it would heal more quickly.

She looked around her room for something to occupy her mind, for she was still wide awake. The book shelf her couch leaned against caught her eye, and she ran her fingers along the spines of the volumes, wondering how she would choose one to read. She closed her eyes and grabbed the nearest book. Books were a rare occurrence in the galaxy, since most stories and facts were stored digitally or holographically.

The book was titled in Basic, A Collection of Hapan Poetry. Tenel Ka opened it to a middle page and began to read a poem entitled Fallen Embers

Once, as my heart remembers,  
all the stars were fallen embers.  
Once, when night seemed forever  
I was with you.  
  
Once, in the care of morning  
in the air was all belonging.  
Once, when that day was dawning  
I was with you.  
  
How far we are from morning,  
how far are we  
and the stars shining through the darkness,  
falling in the air.

Every line made her think more and more of Jacen, made her heart ache. Before she had even finished the poem, Tenel Ka found the world drifting off, and herself slipping away into a soft sleep.

Everything was a soft white in her dream, not a brilliant sun-white, but a soft and comforting glow. A woman came into view, and began walking towards Tenel Ka. She had straight dark brown hair that fell much past her elbows, and walked smoothly, her bare feet making no sound. Her face was calm, welcoming, and her small upturned nose lent her an air of dainty happiness.

She came closer to Tenel Ka, and stared into her grey eyes. This woman's eyes were a dark green, enchanting.

"Who are you?" Tenel Ka could barely get the words out. This dream felt so real, so different than her past dreams. She could no longer feel her body reclining on the couch, though the faint twinge of pain in her ankle was still very real.

"I am the First."

"The first of what?"

"The First of the Jedi."

Tenel Ka's heart almost stopped dead in it's tracks. The first of the Jedi? How was that possible? She asked the only question that came to mind. "When are you from?"

"Longer ago than time can tell."

"But...why are you here? This isn't real, it can't be. It must be the pain-killers the doctors gave me..." Tenel Ka's voice trailed off, she didn't quite know what to say at this point.

"It is very real. I have come to you as I have come to many others over the ages. Your decisions and your destiny affect the outcome of this war, the outcome of this galaxy." The woman paused, blinked slowly. "He is alive."

"No," Tenel Ka said sharply. The words the woman uttered made Tenel Ka uneasy. They were the exact words her own mother had said to her, days before. "It is foolish, weak, to believe so. I will not allow it."

"Your logic tells you no, but what does your heart tell you?"

Tenel Ka breathed in slowly, and as she breathed out, the air circled her heart, her emotions. The breath that came out said, "He is alive."

"If you give up on him, the galaxy will fall. What does your heart tell you to do?"

Tenel Ka could think of no response. Before she could ask any more questions, the woman turned around and walked slowly out of sight, her hair swinging behind her. The glow faded into black, and Tenel Ka opened her eyes. So many thoughts flew around in her head, the only thing she could do was to finish the poem.

Once, as the night was leaving  
into us our dreams were weaving.  
Once, all dreams were worth keeping.  
I was with you.  
  
Once, when our hearts were singing,  
I was with you.


	4. We must speak

A/N: Hello! I'm SO SORRY that it's been so long since I last posted. As I said last time, life is getting pretty crazy. Anyways, I really hope you enjoy this chapter, please review! (it will be less time between chapters next time, and even less if you review!)

A hasty knock on the door startled Tenel Ka out of her daze. The ending words of the woman in her dream rang in her head, "What does your heart tell you to do?" The knock sounded again, this time louder and more urgent.

"Come in." Tenel Ka snapped the book she was reading shut, and threw off the blankets covering her legs.

"Your Highness, your presence is requested in the Queen Mother's chambers." The palace messenger looked about eleven, probably the son of a guard or cook. "She has arranged transport, if you are seriously injured."

Tenel Ka thought it so very like Ta'a Chume to offer a hoverchair for her granddaughter, knowing she wouldn't take it. "I am fine. Tell her I will be there shortly." Tenel Ka rose from her couch, expecting the pain in her ankle to come shooting up her leg as it had that morning. Yet this time, when she stood, her ankle felt completely normal. The swelling and redness was gone as well. She thought to herself, "Perhaps that dream was real...a real visit from the First? I had no idea there even was a First...is this Dark magic? The Nightsisters? Impossible. They would never come to Hapes."

Her head was spinning, but she used the Force to calm herself. It was dangerous to be weak-minded when in the presence of Ta'a Chume.

* * *

"My granddaughter, your leg has healed, I see. But that is not why I have called you here." Ta'a Chume was reclining on a blood red couch, wearing cream-colored robes and veil. "Your mother's condition is improving, as you have probably noticed."

"Yes. It seems that she is almost well enough to go back to her duties." Tenel Ka remained standing, though a servant offered her a seat.

"In the meantime, it would please me if you took over the duties. It is no use for me to do them." Ta'a Chume took a fruit from a bowl on the table and bit into it.

"I have not decided whether to accept the crown, should the time come for me to do so."

"I suggest you decide soon, Tenel Ka. Ruling many worlds takes..." Ta'a Chume's voice drifted off, as it often did when she lectured her granddaughter on the responsibility and privilege of her position. Tenel Ka's eyes wandered to a chair beside her grandmother's couch. Just seconds ago it had been empty, yet now the same woman who haunted the warrior woman's dreams was sitting in it.

Tenel Ka blinked to clear her head, and found that the woman was still sitting in the chair. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulder, and her dark green eyes matched perfectly the fitted pants and tunic she now wore under black Jedi robes. She nodded at Tenel Ka and said, "We must speak about this predicament you face. Perhaps when you are done talking with your grandmother?" The First waved her hand slightly and disappeared from the chair.

"Tenel Ka!" Ta'a Chume's was sitting upright now, clearly angry that her granddaughter's attention have wavered so. "These are important matters, not that Jedi folly you busy yourself with."

"I will inform you of my decision the moment I make it." Tenel Ka spun on her heel and exited the room quickly. The guards at the door could barely pull the ancient doors open fast enough for her to exit. As she reached the doors, she stood still and turned around. "As for now, I agree to take over my mother's duties. But," she held up one finger warningly, "I will wear what I please and act as I see fit, not as you instruct me."

As she left, Ta'a Chume huffed incredulously, though almost pleased with Tenel Ka's answer.

* * *

Tenel Ka drummed her fingers impatiently on the desk in her room, which faced a vast window. The window reached from marble floor to vaulted ceiling, and she looked miniscule in comparison to the panoramic view of the sweeping palace gardens.

Her mind was swirling, spinning in circles, thinking about the visit from the self-proclaimed 'First of the Jedi,' the abrupt healing of her wounded ankle, and her agreement to take over her mother's duties. Since she was on Hapes already, it seemed the logical thing to do, though she still wasn't sure if becoming Queen was the path her life was meant to take. Jedi or Queen? Was it possible to be both?

A soft voice said, "Only if you believe it to be so, will it be possible, Tenel Ka."

Tenel Ka rose from her chair and whipped around to face the voice. It was the First of the Jedi, wearing the green and black robes. The woman sat herself in a chair near the desk, crossing one leg over the other casually and resting her arms on the armrests of the plush chair. She motioned for Tenel Ka to sit down. Tenel Ka remained standing.

"It is time that we spoke. There is no need to be frightened. Sit." She motioned to the chair again.

"I am not 'frightened'." Tenel Ka raised her chin, defiant that anyone (real or possibly imaginary) would assume her scared.

"As I've said before, I have visited many Jedi over the ages. However, I have never visited any in such a privileged but difficult position as you. Tenel Ka, though your grandmother may be often scheming, what she says this time is the truth. You must decide."

Tenel Ka sat back down at her desk, utterly bewildered. 'How can she know all of this?' Tenel Ka thought to herself.

The woman laughed, saying, "Oh, I know many things about you. Almost everything."

"I see." Tenel Ka looked into this woman's eyes and read her presence through the Force. She seemed real enough. "And what may I call you?"

"You may call me Valterra. It was my name, in life."

"You are here to aid me?" Tenel Ka sat down slowly.

"I chose to visit you because I have foreseen that you will need my help the most. I do not often meddle in the lives of mortals, and I have not done so in many ages." Valterra leaned forward in her chair, hands clasped and resting on her knees. "Tenel Ka, I have visited him as well. You know of who I speak. Jacen Solo is another who needs my help. Your lives are intertwined, and the fate of the galaxy rests on the strength within the two of you."

"It is impossible. We all felt him die." Tenel Ka's gaze lowered to her desk, the focused far away in the garden. "I felt him die."

"It was not death that you felt. I promise you, he is alive. And when the time comes, you must go find him."


	5. It is time

A/N: Whoops, forgot to do this before. This statement hereby applies to all previous chapters and all chapters following: I do not own any of the characters, places, or names of Star Wars.

The only exception to this is that I did 'invent' the character of Valterra. Valterra means "Strong earth" and other than that, I just happen to like the name. I have never read of her in any Star Wars book.

Also, I am using this as a test-run for this story, as I'll be majorly editing it and reposting on when it is finished. Hope you enjoy, thanks to DathomiranAuthorRoamer, Gaerwen, Master Solo, Monkey Hood, smeagol's princess, Jedi Master Aurlee Kenobi, Tara, lala, and LilRedHeadGirl for all the reviews! You guys are awesome. Also, if anyone happens to be on TFN boards, my user name is castag, so feel free to PM me. I'm trying to get my feet wet there on the boards before posting a story. Thanks again!

* * *

A light breeze and the first rays of light from the window awoke Tenel Ka from her fitful sleep. She threw off her covers and walked to the end of her bedchamber. The rising sun over the palace gardens cast a strange light over the morning mist, and came in her window softly. She stood out on the balcony, hand on the stone rail. Something felt different to her about this day, different than the many other she had spent on Hapes since her arrival.

It had been about two weeks since Valterra's last visit, and about three since the other Jedi left the planet to return to the war. As Ta'a Chume had suggested, she had taken over her mother's duties, attending daily tactical meetings, audiences, diplomatic conferences, and royal meals. Teneniel Djo's health was improving, slowly but steadily, though she was certainly not healthy enough to return to her obligations as Queen.

Every day Tenel Ka searched for Jacen through the Force during her morning meditation. Every day, nothing. Every day, the gap he left in her heart felt wider and less hopeful. Perhaps Valterra had only been a figment of her not-oft used imagination. In the Force, she felt Jaina's smoldering anger at the alien invaders, Tahiri's confusion, Leia's solid determination, and the countless other Jedi nearby in the galaxy. She felt most closely her mother's presence, yet something was different. Her mother had been quiet and withdrawn the past few days, and Tenel Ka did not intend to disturb her rest, for it was well needed. After living her quiet, backwater life on Dathomir, the intrigue and politics of Hapes had simply tired her mother's mind and spirit.

The sun rose higher on the balcony, and there was a knock at the front door to Tenel Ka's chambers. She reluctantly left the balcony and pulled on a robe to cover her nightgown. She opened the door, only to find a girl of about fifteen standing in the frame, holding an armful of what looked to be dress boxes. She was positively shaking, and Tenel Ka did not help matters by saying in her usual blunt manner, "What is it?"

The girl bowed unsteadily and responded in Hapan, stuttering, "Princess, I...I... was sent to...to...give you these." She held out the long, flat boxes to indicate of what she spoke.

Tenel Ka opened the door wider and beckoned her to enter. "My grandmother sent these, I assume?"

"Y-yes." The Tenel Ka took the boxes from her with one arm, and walked into her bedroom. The girl simply stood in the middle sitting room.

"You may come in." She set the boxes on her bed and opened the first one. The first thing that caught her eye was a note, clearly from Ta'a Chume. It read, "These were your mother's dresses when she first arrived here. I have no use for them; perhaps you will wear them instead of your usual rustic attire?"

Tenel Ka raised one eyebrow in disdain of her grandmother's very blatant note. Under the note was a green dress of Hapan design, but looked much more comfortable and conservative than the others her grandmother had attempted to force her to wear. She laid it carefully on the bed, then pulled out the next dress from the box under it, and found that it was much the same material and style, though this one was gray in color. She usually did not like dresses of any kind, yet these she found acceptable, especially since they belonged to her own mother.

Speaking of her mother, it had been a few days since her last visit, so she told the quaking maid to inform Teneniel Djo that she would be receiving a visit from her daughter tonight. But first, there was an important meeting on the refugee situation that Tenel Ka had to attend.

* * *

Tenel Ka sat in the meeting at the head of a long and elaborately carved table filled with diplomats, senators, and various royalties from the worlds of Hapes. She sat straight-backed in her chair, and wore her hair in her traditional Dathomiri braids. Today, though, she had donned the green dress of her mother's and she could tell some of the dignitaries were pleasantly surprised, though they said nothing. Around her neck was the pink shell Jacen had given her from Nicta's hatching. She wore it every day, though it was usually not exposed from under her high-necked reptile hides.

She listened patiently to all sides of every story, never allowing the meeting to get out of hand in any way, though it centered on a stressful topic- the war. News from the NRI was that a major victory was won for the New Republic and the war seemed to be ending. Tenel Ka stood up to make a closing speech to the meeting.

"We wish to express our gratitude to all of you for attending, and..." Suddenly, a wash of warmth came at her through the Force, like a wave of joy crashing over her head. Then, the wave subsided, and it felt as though she had just been yanked out of the water and was now gasping for precious breath.

She sat down and took a few gulps of air, the two guards flanking her chair moving in closer. Murmurs grew to outright chaos in the room. Standing up shakily, she waved away help, running from the room. Her soft boots made soft thumping noises as she ran, and she could hear more footsteps running behind her as her female guards pursued. She knew they would never catch her, and she continued to run to her chambers, where she shut and locked the door quickly. She slowly leaned against it and sunk to the floor. Jacen was back...Her heart swelled with love and emotion, and she realized just how lonely she had been in his absence.

She felt exactly the opposite of the screaming rage and pain of the day he "died." Every memory of him came crashing back, every feeling of happiness, friendship, love. She had felt it the hardest when he left, but she knew that she would not be the only one feeling this now. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she realized... it was time.


End file.
